Panel mounted lamp socket



Sept. 16, 1952 c, w, COCHRAN 2,611,000

PANEL MOUNTED LAMP SOCKET Filed April 13, 1950 \NVENTOR: CLARENCE W. CocHRAN,

B9 Vida, 8. PMLW ATToRN EY.

Patented Sept. 16, 1952 PANEL MGUNTED LAMP SOCKET Clarence W. Cochran, Belmont, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, 'lvlass a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 13, 1950, Serial No. 155,675

This invention relates to lamp sockets, and more particularly to improvements in dust-proof and Water-proof lamp sockets of the turn-in type, and aims generally to improve existing devices of this type.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a lamp socket of the turn-in type embodying a novel construction'and arrangement of parts designed to prevent the entry of dust, dirt and water into the device or through the support aperture in which the device may be mounted.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a turn-in type lamp socket having resilient sealing means constructed and arranged to prevent the entry and/or passage of dust and water and to eliminate the need for springs and associated parts for holding the socket in sealing engagement with an apertured support.

Another object of the invention is the provision of novel and improved sealing and mounting means for turn-in type lamp sockets.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparentto persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the socket;

Fig. 2 is a top View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the socket taken on the line $3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the socket taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view partly in section showing the rubber sealing ring;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an apertured support with which the socket is adapted to be assembled; and

Fig. 7 is a partial vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 3 showing the device in mounted position on a support of the type shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the invention as illustrated comprises a lamp socket assembly I consisting of a lamp socket 2 mounted in alainp socket-supporting or mounting means The assembly I is designed for turn-in mounting on a support 4 apertured, as shown, to provide a circular opening 5 and communicating. slotted openings 6.

The lamp socket 2 may suitably comprise a tubular or sleeve-like member '1 formed of sheet metal or the like and having'an open end 8 pro- 6 Claims. (01. 173-339) 2 vided with pressed-out keyways or slots 8 for receiving and locking the usual type lamp.

The lamp socket supporting or mounting means 3 comprises a resilient gasket is preferably formed of rubber or the like and inner and outer retaining members H and i2 for mounting and holding the gasket in proper mounted position on the socket 2.

In accordance with the invention the gasket H3 is preferably formed with an annular base portion [3 and an enlarged annular support-engaging portion M offset from the base portion l3 and connected thereto by an intermediate laterally extending portion l5. The annular supportengaging portion M- has a support-engaging surface IG which is preferably fiat and adapted for pressure engagement with a supporting wall around an aperture 5 therein to seal the aperture against passage of dust, dirt and water.

The inner retaining member ii is preferably shaped to the inner contour of the gasket i3 and is thus provided with offset annular portions :7 and i8 adapted to engage the inner surfaces of the annular portions 53 and It of the gasket and a connecting portion i9 adapted to engage the intermediate portion 15 of the gasket. The annular portion I8 of the member it extends out wardly beyond the support-engaging surface it of the gasket It to form a flanged lip 25 shaped to enter the circular support opening 5 to properly position the assembly I on a support.

At one end thereof the member i is provided with oppositely disposed locking tongues 22 preferably formed by slitting the flanged lip 2| as shown at 23 and bending the tongues so formed outwardly against the support-engaging surface Id of the gasket Iii. As shown in Fig. 3, the looking tongues 22 are preferably embedded in the resilient material of the gasket so that their outer surfaces are normally flush with the support-en gaging surface I6 of the gasket. This insures proper pressure engagement of the gasket with the support wall as will be more apparent her inafter.

At its opposite end the member 5 i is provided with an inwardly turned flange 24 apertured as at 25 to receive and sealingly engage suitable con ducting wires (not shown).

The outer retaining member i2 comprises an. annular portion 26 adapted to engage the outer surface of the annular base portion iii of the gasket and clamp itin sealing engagement with the inner retaining member H. At one end thereof the annular portion 25 'is turned outwardly to form a rim member 2? adapted to engage the outer surface of the intermediate cona 3 nectlng portion I5. At its opposite end the annular portion 26 is provided with an inwardly extending flanged base portion 28 adapted to underlie the gasket and the inwardly turned flange 24 of the member H. The inner and outer retaining members are secured together by reversely turning or bending the inner edges of the flange 24 outwardly .over the flanged base portion 28 as shown at 29. The inner and outer retaining members thus secure the gasket firmly between them for sealing engagement with a support wall.

Additional means for holding the gasket firmly seated and partially compressed between theretaining members is provided by the ring-like member 3| having oppositely disposed'projecting flanges 32, preferably having an arcuate crosssection as shown. The flanges 32 extend through openings 33 in the inner retaining member H and the ends thereof have pressure engagement with the gasket 19, asshown in Fig. 4. The flanges 32 are retained in spaced position-inwardly of the support-engaging surfaces 116 of the .gasket l0 by-the edges 340i the apertures 33.

The socket 2 extends through the ring-like member 3.! and is mounted in the lamp socket .supportingmeans 3 preferably bya press-fit with the annular portion I! of the inner retaining member H. Thisinsures a sealed connection between the .socket 2 .and socketesupporting means .3.

The .socketassemblyis mounted :on an apertured support by inserting the socket .2 and flanged lip.2l into the aperture .5 with the locking tongues 22 positioned opposite the slotted openings 6, pushing inwardly on the assembly to compress the gasket against the support wall and force the locking tongues 22 inwardly through the slotted openingsfi and then rotating the assembly to engage the locking tongues 22 with the rear surface of the support around the aperture 5. The gasket, when thus compressed against the support, holds the locking tongues ;22 firmly against the rear face of the support thereby eliminating the need for springs and associated parts. .Also, the gasket, when thus compressed against the support, holds the flanges 32 against the front face of the support. Upon turning the socket assembly in place the arcuate cross-sections of the flanges .32 may be caused by the compressed gasket to engage releasably the slotted openings 6 to provide a friction stop for limiting rotation of the socket assembly. By the same token the gasket "I0 is maintained in compressed :and sealing engagement with the support wall by engagement of thelocking cars 22 with the rear face thereof. The assembly is readily released .from. locked position by pressing inwardly thereon and then rotating until the locking tongues are positioned opposite the slotted openings 6 at which time the assembly may be Withdrawn outwardly. Release of .the

flanges 32 fromthe slotted .openings 6 may be easily effected by the application of a turning force to the socket assembly since the edges of the slotted openings 6 willride upon the curved surfaces of the flanges 32.

The invention thus provides a novel lamp socket assembly which may be resiliently held in pressure engagement with an apertured support and effectively sealed against the entrance or passage of dirt,..dust, water andthe like.

. Although I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I do not intend to be limited to the specific details thereof 4 as the scope of the invention is best defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket assembly adapted for turn-in engagement with an apertured support, said assembly comprising a tubular socket member, a tubular support-engaging member having an end portion secured to one end of said socket member and the opposite end portion surrounding said socket member in spaced relation thereto intermediate the ends thereof, said opposite end portion having apertures extending therethrough and spaced circumferentially about the circumference thereof adjacent the free edge thereof and support-engaging tongues extending laterally outward therefrom adjacent the free edge thereof intermediate said apertures, a ring member surrounding said socket member within said opposite end portion of said support-engaging member and having locking tongues extending therefrom through said apertures,- av resilient gasket membersurrounding said. support-engaging member, and means supporting. said gasket member adjacent :said. one end portion of .said support-engaging portion, said gasket member having an endsurfacein engagement with said support-engaging tongues ..and said 7 locking tonguesand :urging .said locking tongues into substantially the plane :.,of said. support-engaging tongueswhereby said assembly may be secured to a support having. an aperture with tonguereceiving slots by inserting the socket member in the aperture and the support-engaging tongues into the slots and turning the assembly so that the support-engaging tongues engage one face of the support and the end surface of the gasket member engages the opposite face of the support and the locking tongues are caused to be lockingly engaged in the slots to resist further rotation of the assembly.

2. A lamp socket assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the means supporting the gasket member adjacent the one end portion of the support-engaging member comprises a cupshaped member secured to said support-engaging member and surrounding the gasket member adjacent the end thereof opposite the end surface engaging the support-engaging tongues.

3. A lamp socket assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the one end portion .of the support-engaging member conforms substantially to the size of the socket member and the gasket member comprises two portions one of greater outer diameter surrounding the opposite end portion of the support-engaging member and .one of lesser outer diameter surrounding said one .end portion.

4. A lamp socket \assemblyin accordance with claim 3 wherein the means supporting the gasket member comprises a cup-shaped member secured to the support-engaging member and surrounding the portion of the gasket member of lesser diametensaid cup-shaped member having .a peripheral flange supporting said gasket member portion of greater diameter.

5. .A lamp socket assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein the locking tongues include raised portions providing rounded surfaces for camming engagement with theedges of slots extending from the aperture of .a support in which the, assembly may bemounted.

6. A lamp socket assembly adapted for turnsin engagement with an aperturedsupport, said -assembly comprising a tubular socket member, a tubular support-engaging membersecured atone end to said socket member, said support-engage ing member having adjacent an opposite end support-engaging tongues extending laterally outward, a resilient gasket member secured to said support-engaging member and having an end surface in resilient engagement with said support-engaging tongues, locking tongues engaging said end surface and disposed intermediate said support-engaging tongues, said gasket member axially urging said locking tongues into substantially the plane of said support-engaging tongues, and means for mounting said locking tongues on said support-engaging member and limiting axial and rotational movement thereof between predetermined limits, whereby said assembly may be secured to a support having an aperture with tongue-receiving slots by inserting the socket member in the aperture and the support-engaging tongues into the slots and turning CLARENCE W. COCHRAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,723,471 Dunham Aug. 6, 1929 1,905,471 Kent et a1 Apr. 25, 1933 

